Star Wars Missions 002 - Escape from Thyferra Read online

  If your new confront# is equal to or more than your roll#, you may proceed.

  If your new confront# is less than your roll#, subtract the difference from your MP total. Repeat this confront with your new confront# until you have neutralized the Gamorrean. Then you may proceed.

  As the Gamorrean falls, his arm strikes the lever.

  “Step back!” Q-7N yells, and you quickly jump backward. Suddenly, the tunnel floor falls away in front of you. You stand on the broken ledge, gazing down into the pit in front of you. Dozens of long metal spikes poke up from the pit.

  “How did you know the floor was rigged?”

  “I wasn’t certain, but I knew something bad would happen when he pulled that lever!” Q-7N looks up to the tunnel ceiling. Two glow rods dangle along the length of the tunnel. “Since the floor is rigged, you might want to swing from one glow rod to the next until you reach the other side of the tunnel,” the droid suggests.

  “It’ll be faster if I just run and jump over this pit,” you reply.

  “You wouldn’t dare!” Q-7N challenges.

  You must choose how you are going to cross the pit. You can either swing from one glow rod to the next or attempt a single leap. Choose now, then proceed.

  To swing from the glow rods: Add your strength# to your skill# for your confront#. Roll the 6-dice to leap and grab the first glow rod.

  If your confront# is equal to or more than your roll#, you may proceed to the second glow rod, using the same confront equation. Once you have reached the second glow rod, you may proceed.

  If your confront# is less than your roll#, subtract the difference from your MP total and repeat this confront. Once you have grasped the first glow rod, repeat this confront to reach the second glow rod. Once you have reached the second glow rod, you may proceed.

  To leap over the pit: Add your skill# to your strength# +2 for your confront#. Roll the 12-dice to run and leap the pit in a single bound.

  If your confront# is equal to or more than your roll#, you’ve made the leap. Add the difference to your MP total and proceed.

  If your confront# is lower than your roll#, subtract the difference from your MP total and repeat this confront, adding +2 to your confront# for your new confront#. Once you have leaped the pit, you may proceed.

  Once you have crossed the pit, add 20MP to your MP total.

  After you reach the other side of the pit, Q-7N glides through the air and arrives by your side.

  “Too bad you couldn’t just fly over,” remarks the droid.

  “One of these days,” you gasp, “you’ll have to teach me.”

  An open doorway leads you to a spiral staircase. Q-7N stays close to your head as you climb the stone steps. At the top of the stairway, you reach another door. It appears to be unlocked.

  “What do you think is on the other side?” you ask Q-7N.

  “According to my topography sensors,” says the droid, “the tunnel led us away from the cantina, but we’ve risen into a building next door to the cantina.”

  You push the door open and find yourself in a murky room. The room is illuminated by a heavy bracket of glow rods hanging from the ceiling. You see another doorway and step toward it. You’ve almost reached the doorway when you spy a triangular gametable under the bracket of glow rods. At the gametable, three aliens look up from their card game.

  Only one alien appears familiar. He’s a reptiloid Brubb, and his dusty yellow, ridged eyes gleam against his dark skin. He wears a black, sleeveless tunic that reveals the long, lean muscles on his scale-covered arms.

  The second alien is a chubby fellow. Instead of a head, three stalks seem to grow out of his neck. At the end of each stalk is a bloodshot, purple eyeball.

  The third alien has a bulbous head and does not appear to have any eyes at all. In one of his six tentacles, he holds his cards close to a small hole in the middle of his head. He has a massive lower body with four powerful legs. Instead of sitting in a chair, he squats on the floor beside the table.

  “Hey!” shouts the Brubb. “This is a private game!”

  The second alien squints all three of his eyes at you and says, “Wait a minute… Where are the Guff twins?”

  “He must mean the two Gamorreans!” whispers Q-7N.

  The third alien throws down his cards and leaps to his four feet. “What’s the matter, spacer?” he snarls. “Droid got your tongue?”

  To leave this room, you can choose to talk or fight your way out. To fight, you can choose all at once or one at a time.

  To talk your way out (without Power): Your charm# +1 is your confront#. Roll the 6-dice to leave this room without any difficulty.

  If your confront# is equal to or more than your roll#, add the difference to your MP total. The stupid aliens believe your tale that you are a relative of the Guff twins, and you may proceed.

  If your confront# is less than your roll#, subtract the difference from your MP total. The card players do not believe you when you tell them that you are the Guff twins’ second cousin. Now you’ll have to fight the aliens (choose from below).

  To talk your way out (using Power)*: Choose your Persuasion Power. Your charm# + your Power’s low-resist# + your Jedi# is your confront#. Roll the 6-dice to talk your way out of this one.

  If your confront# is equal to or more than your roll#, add the difference to your MP total. The aliens believe your tale that you are a relative of the Guff twins, and you may proceed.

  If your confront# is less than your roll#, subtract the difference from your MP total. The card players do not believe you. Now you’ll have to fight (below).

  *Note: This counts as one of two Power uses you are allowed in this Mission.

  To fight the aliens all at once: Choose your weapon. Add your weaponry# to your weapon’s mid-range# +2 for your confront#. Roll the 12-dice to shoot the heavy glow rod bracket that hangs above the aliens.

  If your confront# is equal to or more than your roll#, add the difference to your MP total. The bracket has crashed down upon the aliens and you may proceed.

  If your confront# is less than your roll#, subtract the difference from your MP total. The aliens can’t believe you missed that shot and they leap away from the table. Now you’ll have to fight them one at a time.

  To fight the aliens one at a time: Choose your weapon. Add your weaponry# to your weapon’s mid-range# +1 for your confront#. Roll the 6-dice to begin shooting.

  If your confront# is equal to or more than your roll#, add the difference to your MP total. You may proceed to combat the second alien, using the same confront equation.

  If your confront# is less than your roll#, subtract the difference from your MP total and repeat this confront. Once you have defeated the first alien, repeat this confront with the same confront# to combat the second alien.

  After you defeat the second alien, you may proceed to combat the third alien, using the same confront equation. When the third alien is defeated, you may proceed.

  No matter how you pulled it off, it wasn’t easy. Add 50MP to your MP total (75 for Advanced Level players).

  “Good show,” praises Q-7N. “I’m glad I’m on your side.”

  “Thanks,” you reply. “You say we’re next door to the cantina?” you ask the floating droid.

  “I think so,” replies Q-7N.

  “Thank goodness,” you say. You place your hand on the door activator and the door slides open.

  But the door does not open to the outside world. Instead, you find yourself in a large stockroom. There is dirt on the floor. Boxes are piled everywhere.

  “This isn’t outside at all!” declares Q-7N. “It looks like some kind of warehouse.”

  “Yeah, but what are they warehousing?” you ask. “This place is a mess.”

  “What are you doing in here?!” yells a voice to your left. You turn to see that the speaker is a green-skinned Rodian standing on a catwalk, glaring down at you with his large, multifaceted eyes. Another Rodian stands beside him, and they appear to
be identical. Their tapirlike snouts begin to twitch, and you wonder whether they picked up your scent as you entered the warehouse. They are both outfitted in matching orange jumpsuits and carry holstered blasters. Below the Rodians, a large vat of chemicals stands bubbling.

  “Hey!” exclaims the other Rodian. “Why aren’t any of the guards with him?” The two Rodians reach for their blasters with their suction-cup-tipped fingers.

  You can choose to combat both Rodians at once, or one at a time.

  To combat both Rodians at once: Choose your weapon. Add your weaponry# to your weapon’s far-range# for your confront#. Roll the 6-dice to shoot at the main support of the catwalk.

  If your confront# is equal to or more than your roll#, add the difference to your MP total. The main support explodes and the catwalk crashes. You may now proceed.

  If your confront# is lower than your roll#, subtract the difference from your MP total. You have missed the support and must now combat the Rodians one at a time.

  To combat one Rodian at a time: Choose your weapon. Add your weaponry# to your weapon’s far-range# for your confront#. Roll the 6-dice to shoot at the first Rodian.

  If your confront# is equal to or more than your roll#, add the difference to your MP total. Repeat the confront to combat the second Rodian. Once you have defeated the two Rodians, you may proceed.

  If your confront# is lower than your roll#, subtract the difference from your MP total and repeat this confront, adding +1 to your confront# for your new confront#. Once you have defeated the first Rodian, repeat this confront with the same confront# to combat the second Rodian.

  The two Rodians topple off the catwalk and into the vat with a great splash.

  “Try and find a way out of here,” you order Q-7N. “I’m going to look around and see what sort of operation this is.”

  The crates open easily enough. Inside one, you find various packaged ingredients. A second crate appears to be filled with soil, but as you sift through it, you find that there are strange-looking plants underneath.

  “I couldn’t find any way out,” announces Q-7N, peering into the crates. “Did you find out what they’re making here?”

  “I’m not sure,” you say. “I’m hardly a chemist, but I think—”

  A shuffling noise causes you to stop talking and listen. You draw your blaster and inch your way around a nearby crate. Behind the crate, you find a shivering figure huddled on the floor.

  “Please don’t shoot us!” cries the insectoid figure as its two three-fingered hands try to cover its triangular face. “We are not violent!”

  “Don’t worry,” you say as you lower your weapon. “I’m not going to shoot you. What’s your name?”

  “We are called Plurra,” answers the alien

  “Why does this creature refer to itself as ‘us’ and ‘we?’” asks Q-7N.

  “Because it’s a Vratix,” you reply. “The Vratix share a collective mind. Instead of ‘I,’ they say ‘we.’”

  “You know of the Vratix?” Plurra asks. “You will help us escape?”

  “I’ll try,” you answer. “But first, maybe you can help me. Can you tell me what’s in these crates?”

  The Vratix rises onto its four legs and moves to the crates. It points to the first one. “This one contains the ingredients for kavam. The other contains the plant alazhi.”

  “What does that mean?” Q-7N asks.

  “When kavam is combined with alazhi,” the Vratix explains, “it produces bacta!” Plurra’s large compound eyes seem to have a life of their own. They dart in many different directions at once. “The Vratix is known for making the best bacta. That is why we are enslaved here!”

  “How horrible!” Q-7N gasps.

  “Our only hope,” says Plurra, “is that the bacta we produce might help someone who needs it —”

  Plurra is interrupted by sudden blaster fire that strikes the crates. The Vratix has powerful legs and leaps out of the range of fire. You dive behind one of the crates and Q-7N rises rapidly toward the ceiling.

  “It’s the two aliens from the catwalk!” Q-7N warns.

  “The Rodians?” you yell as more blaster fire rips into the wall behind your head. “But I took care of those guys!”

  “That’s what you think!” screams one Rodian as he fires another shot in your direction and moves in front of a stack of crates. “You almost took care of us permanently, but we landed in a vat of bacta!”

  “Yeah,” hollers the second Rodian, “and now we’re all healed!”

  “Thanks for explaining it to me,” you mutter as you draw your weapon and leap out from behind the crate.

  You must battle the two Rodians again. You can choose to combat both Rodians at once or one at a time.

  To combat both Rodians at once: Choose your weapon. Add your weaponry# to your weapon’s close-range# for your confront#. Roll the 6-dice to shoot at a stack of nearby crates.

  If your confront# is equal to or more than your roll#, add the difference to your MP total. The stack of crates tumbles down and crushes the Rodians. You may now proceed.

  If your confront# is lower than your roll#, subtract the difference from your MP total. You have missed the stack of crates and must now combat the Rodians one at a time.

  To combat one Rodian at a time: Choose your weapon. Add your weaponry# to your weapon’s mid-range# +2 for your confront#. Roll the 12-dice to shoot at the first Rodian.

  If your confront# is equal to or more than your roll#, add the difference to your MP total. Repeat the confront to combat the second Rodian.

  If your confront# is lower than your roll#, subtract the difference from your MP total and repeat this confront, adding +2 to your confront# for your new confront#. Use this new confront# until you have defeated the first Rodian. Once you have defeated the first Rodian, repeat this confront with the old confront# to combat the second Rodian.

  After you have defeated the two Rodians, add 30MP to your MP total. You may now proceed.

  You step over to the fallen Rodians. Q-7N floats down to your side and examines the two bodies on the floor. “Let’s hope they stay that way,” says the droid.

  “How can we get you out of here?” you ask the Vratix.

  “Follow us!” Plurra yells. The Vratix scurries across the warehouse and leads you to what appears to be a brick wall. “This wall is a secret door. It will lead us outside.”

  The door opens to an alley. You step through it, followed by Q-7N and Plurra.

  The Vratix’s triangular head raises and appears to take a deep breath. “You have helped us gain our freedom,” it says. “We are in your debt.”

  “No problem,” you reply. “But before you leave, maybe you should wait here for a few minutes with Q-7N. I need to go back to that cantina and speak to the owner.”

  “Is that a good idea?” asks Q-7N.

  “No,” you respond. “But I’m feeling a lot less friendly this time around.”

  You leave the alley and step onto the main street. After crossing over to the cantina, you step through the entrance.

  The goggled Kubaz is still sitting at the counter. The Devaronian is polishing glasses behind the counter. Neither one of them is looking in your direction. The stool and trapdoor are back in place. Everything seems normal.

  But the other creatures in the cantina notice you and see the menace in your gaze. Chairs scrape against the floor and customers walk, slither, and crawl out the door. The Devaronian looks up at you. His eyes go wide with surprise.

  “What you did to me was wrong,” you say through clenched teeth. “But what you did to that Vratix was even worse!” Hearing your voice, the Kubaz whirls around with his blaster drawn.

  You must combat the Kubaz.

  To combat the Kubaz: Choose your weapon. Add your weaponry# to your weapon’s close-range# for your confront#. Roll the 6-dice to neutralize the Kubaz.

  If your confront# is equal to or more than your roll#, add the difference to your MP total. The Kubaz is no longer a
threat to anyone.

  If your confront# is less than your roll#, subtract the difference from your MP total and repeat this confront until you have neutralized the Kubaz.

  The Devaronian watches as the Kubaz falls to the floor. “How did you escape?” the Devaronian asks.

  “Ask your henchmen!” you snarl. “Now tell me how to get to Morbo’s Place.”

  Trembling with fear, the Devaronian gives you detailed instructions.

  “One more thing,” you demand. “What’s the name of your cantina?”

  “The Plastoid Pitt,” replies the confused Devaronian.

  “Thanks,” you reply. “I’ll remember that.” You leave the cantina and return to the alley.

  “I’ve got new directions to Morbo’s Place,” you announce.

  “Do we go there now?” Q-7N asks.

  “First we’re going back to rescue the other Rebels. They must be in the cell blocks.”

  “We will help you,” declares the Vratix.

  “Thanks, Plurra,” you reply. “We can make it back to Docking Bay Seventy-two on foot. We’ll pick up the Y-wing later.”

  Q-7N soars through the alleys of Zalxuc City, guiding you and Plurra back to the docking bay. You peek around the corner of a building to see that the stormtroopers still have the Falcon surrounded.

  “Imperials usually set up a base,” you say. “There’s probably a temporary headquarters around here.”

  Q-7N rotates all three photoreceptors at you and asks, “What about that office we entered earlier? The one with the two Imperial technicians?”

  “Of course!” you exclaim. “Why didn’t I think of that before? There was a comm unit in my cell. If we make it to that office, I should be able to contact the other Rebels!”

  You keep your head down as you make your way back to the basement-level office. The stormtroopers will remember your face from when you were brought in, and you don’t have an available disguise. You enter an alleyway.

  When you are nearly at the door that leads to the office, you see three stormtroopers guarding the door.